Electrical relay



[June 10, 1924'.

'- E.' H. MILLS Y ELECTRIC'ALVRELAY Filed' Deo. 22 1920 /n Ven fb /fx f//AS /75 /1/////J Patented June 10, 1924.

UNITED STATES 1,496,783 PATENT OFFICE.

ELLIS H. MILLS, 0F EAST ORANGE, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO WESTERN ELECTRIC COMPANY, INCORPORATED, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION 0F NEW YORK.

ELECTRICAL RELAY.

Application led December 22, 1920. Serial No. 432,416.

To all lwhom t may concern.'

lBe it'known that I, ELLrs I-I. MILLS, a citizen of United States, residing at East Orange, in the county of Essex, State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electrical Relays, of which the following is a full, clear, concise, and exact description.

This invention relates in general to electrical lrelays and particularly to a structure for use on alternating currentfcircuits in which means is provided for improving the contacts.

In telephone circuits it is necessary to employ relays which are operated by alternating currents ofl comparatively low frequency, such for example, as are employed in ringing circuits in which case the frequency employed -is in most cases approximately 16'?,- cycles per second. lVithgsuch relays more or less trouble is experienced due to the fluttering of the relay armatures, re- Sulting in low contact pressures and in extreme cases` intermittent contacts. In order to obtain satisfactory contact, it has, therefore, been the general practice to elnploy a much larger number of ampere turns on alternating current relays than it has been necessary to employ on similar relays operated in direct current circuits.

The object of the present invention is to provide a relay for use in alternating current circuits in which satisfactory contacts may be obtained without resorting to the use of an excessive number of ampere turns for the operation of the relay. To accomplish this object and in accordance with a feature of the invention, an inertia memberis used in connection' with the vibrating armature to prolong the time of contact for each pulsation of the alternating or fluctuating currents.

In accordance with another feature of this invention, the inertia member is so arranged as to be easily assembled upon relays of the standard type, and additional means are provided to insure that the relay operates most satisfactorily on currents of different frequencies.

These and other features of the invention may be more fully understood by reference to the accompanying drawing in which there is shown in perspective astructure embodying the features of the invention.

Referring more particularly to this drawing, there is disclosed a relay of the standard flat type provided with an operating Winding or coil 5 having a core extending therethrough provided with a pole piece 6 and a rearwardly extending clamping portion 7. A Asubstantially U shaped armature 8 is secured to the clamping plate 7 by means of flexible hinge members 9, 9 which are riveted or otherwise securely attached to the lugs 10 and 11 of armature 8. A threaded pin 12 is securely fastened to the core 6 and extends as shown through an opening in the armature 8. Upon this pin is threaded an adjusting nut 13 which has a shoulder portion adapted to engage the armature 8 and serve as a backstop to limit its travel. The armature 8 is provided with a Contact stud 14 which, in its movement, is adapted in the normal position of the armature to engage a contact spring 15, and in the operated position to engage contact-spring 16. These contact springs are held in place by means of screws 17 and contact plates 18 and 19, and are insulated from each other and the clamping portion 7 by means of strips 20, 2O of hard rubber or similar insulating material. Adjusting screws 21 and 22 are arranged to bear against the bevelled portions of the contact springs 16 and 15 respectively, and are provided at their ends with insulating portions 23, 23. Upon the armature leg 11 there is riveted or otherwise securely Yfastened, a flexible spring member 24, upon which a weight member 25 is held by means of the screw 26. The weight 25 is so positioned upon the spring 24 that the natural period of the member is substantially that of the frequency of the pulsations of the alternating or fluctuating current upon which the device is to be operated.

Upon the flow of current in the operating coil 5 the armature. 8 is attracted to pole piece 6, and contact 14 engages contact spring 16. As the wave form of the operating current approaches zero, there would naturally be a tendency for the armature 8 to be forced away from the pole piece 6 by means of the tension of contact spring 16 and the tension of the spring hinged members 9, 9. This tendency, however, is overcome in the present structure by means of the inertia of the weight 25 which is acting to maintain the contacts in a closed position until such time as the wave form again y maintains the f contacts" closed. if

9, 9, so that when the armature is in its attracted position it pivots about-gfthegqeonfftact point 14, thus allowing the armature leg 1l to vibrate t0 a Slight-degree,-Whioli-:inl

turn keeps the spring 24 in vibration and IHM-other types ot relays;` the vibration of*` the-spring 24 may be maintained by" employ-ing; flexible Contact pspringsg having sutlifeientV travel to allow Y the armature y tovibrate a Slight` amount Without openingjthe contacts.

That is claimed is:

1. i An yeleetrieal relay comprising l an enerv gizin'g"Windin'gv having f ct-core extending therethrough, an-varmat-urel pivoted upon the-#coreay a VContact lmember adapted to bey enga-ged byffthe movementof Said larmature; and an inertia member flexibly Secured to said armature to prolong the time of eon? taotclosure When operating with fluctuating Currents. Y

2.' Arelay `Comprising a Windinghaving acore extending therethrough;V afvibrating armature cooperatinglwithsaid Core; a pairof fcontacts operated by the movement ofl said Aa-rr'nature; ay flexible .y reed secured lite the armature and lvibrating therewithglsaid In Ythe 'Structure as.v .v disclosed, there. is la certain amount v oliy flexibility in the. hinged. members..

reed havingmovementrelative to saidarmature; anda yWeight secured to Asaid reed.

3. A-relay comprising a Winding having a core extendingtherethrough;v a-Nibrating armaturedcooperatingjvithfsai'd lcore/ gira pa-ir ot contacts operated by the movement of saidnarmature; a flexible reed secured to the armature and vibrating therewith, said reed having movementj relative to said armature; and a Weight adjustably secured to said reed.

4. A relay comprising ahwi'ndinghaving a corer extending therethrough,Y` a vibrating armature engagingthecore, a. pair otfcon'-l tacts operated by the movement of fsa-id armature,V and 'a -iexibleweighted reed securedv `to A the f armature ASaid 'reed Vhaving g a natural period substantially' equalto the fluctuations in the operating current;

5.51 A l relay LCompris-iiig a lWinding having afoore extending therethroughya vibrating arma-ture engagingthe core, a pairjof; oon-` taotsoperated 'by ythe movementlof jsaid armature, and a flexible Weighted-reed se-vl cured Pto `r and substantially#` parallel f'to said armature, said-'reed having :a natu-ral period substantially equal to the yluetuations inthe operating current.y

' In Witness/Whereotf hereunto .subscribe my name this 17th day of December A.:D.`,1920.

ELLIS fHfMrLLS. 

